1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to shoes.
2. Prior Arts
Many martial arts involve a great deal of kicking. A practitioner typically strikes with the outer edge of the foot when executing a side kick, the ball of the foot when executing a front kick, and the top of the foot when executing a front sweeping kick. The outer edge of the foot is also used extensively for gripping the ground in stances. Therefore, the martial arts practitioner needs a shoe that is very different from those used for other sports.
Protective foot wear specifically designed for martial arts is known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,854 to Williams discloses a simple foot wrap. The toes and heel are exposed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,015 to Bottoms discloses a boot with evenly thick padding all around that does not protect any specific areas. U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,715 to Fredrickson et al. discloses a toe cap that leaves the rest of the foot unprotected. U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,105 to Richardson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,970 to Wren, Jr. et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,912 to Arthur each disclose a thickly padded foot cover, but lack a sole for protecting the bottom of the foot. U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,613 to Collins discloses a shoe with an especially thickened toe cap, but the rest of the shoe is relatively thinly padded.
The outer edge of the foot takes a beating when performing side kicks, but prior arts shoes provide inadequate protection. In a front kick, the toes must bend up to strike with the ball of the foot, but prior arts shoes with thick soles prevent the toes from more fully bending up, whereas those with thin soles provide inadequate shock absorption. None of the prior arts shoes are particularly suitable for protecting the martial arts practitioner in his or her specialized activities.
The objectives of the present martial arts shoe are:
to provide better grip in martial arts stances;
to protect the outer edge, toes, and upper parts of the foot when kicking;
to allow the toes to bend back more fully for executing front kicks;
to prevent sideways sliding on the floor, but allowing fore and aft sliding, and rotation about the ball and heel; and
to allow the foot to more easily extend and point.
Further objectives of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
The martial arts shoe is comprised of a sole and an upper attached thereon. The sole has a raised rim. A rib is attached to the sole on an outer side of the shoe for providing better grip and for protecting the outer edge of the foot. A rigid insert is embedded in the rim for additional protection. The rim has gaps on the sides near the front to enable a toe portion of the sole to bend back more fully for front kicks. A tread pattern on the bottom of the sole includes suction cups along the outer edge for grip, transverse grooves at the toe area for grip, longitudinal grooves behind the toe area for fore and aft sliding, and concentric circular grooves at the ball and heel areas for pivoting.